By Jaycee Hampton, Staff Writer
Athletic seasons have begun at Eastern Oklahoma State College, and months of preparation are finally going to pay off. Coach Kendra Whisenhunt is the head softball coach at EOSC. Whisenhunt is currently on her 10th season as a coach at Eastern – sixth season as the head coach – but every year just keeps getting better.
The Mountaineers started off their season in Harrison, Ark. vs. North Arkansas. A doubleheader sweep, they left with a 14-4 and 27-2 victory. The season is looking very positive.
“We have a lot of freshmen that are going to be able to come in and help us right off the bat, plus we have a lot of big bats at the plate. We have a lot of pitchers that are going to throw outs and defense will be there to back up the pitchers,” Whisenhunt said.
Whisenhunt expects a lot from her players on and off the field. Keeping good grades and just being a good person in general are some of the most important things on and off the field.
“I want them to respect their teammates and everyone they come in contact with. I want them to be good people first and foremost,” Whisenhunt said. “Good character and good sportsmanship. We are here to win, and I want kids out there that are going to compete.”
The rest of the coaching staff is very important to the team’s success as well. Every day the coaches are working together to see what works best, what they can do next, and how they will approach every practice and game.
“We have to be respectful and set an example for all of the athletes we coach. One of our greatest assets is that we are always going to be on the same page, and if we are not, we will have a discussion away from the players, so we are on a united front,” Whisenhunt added. “I want the girls to have a good time, I want them to feel good on the field and play with some confidence. We as coaches need to keep calm if some errors are made, or if we give up a few home runs. As long as we stay cool and collected, I think the team will follow.”
Being at EOSC for a while now, Whisenhunt has some personal goals she wants to be met this season along with the goals she has for her players.
“I have a pretty big win milestone coming up soon, and I am hoping to hit that this year. I would like to get that 100 number.
“We are getting to that point where we are winning more games every season, and we are finally getting to that point where I want us to be. [This season] I’d love us to be in the top 3 for conference.”
Around this time last year, COVID-19 took over the world, causing nearly everything to be shut down. Therefore, the softball season was cut way too short. Going through a pandemic is difficult, but with great diligence, softball will finally get to be played.
“Last year we got shut down and we didn’t even get to play conference games, so I am excited to see what other teams in the conference will look like. It is going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.
“I have some sophomores that didn’t get much playing time last year, and they have a pretty big role this year so I am excited for them to see how they grow over the problems last year caused with COVID-19.”
Continuing to wear masks, social distancing, following guidelines and precautions are vital to this season. Whisenhunt is sure to apply these guidelines in every way possible. The softball girls have worked hard, and Whisenhunt wants her players to know how it does not go unnoticed.
“I want them [the softball players] to know that it’s a long season. It’s a grind, stay focused, and don’t give up. Not many teams go undefeated, so there could be some losses, but just bounce back, shake it off, and keep going,” Whisenhunt said.
Check out the Eastern Oklahoma State College website to find the spring 2021 schedule for softball.
